


The Ghost and the Farm Boy

by May_Seward



Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Force Ghost Qui-Gon Jinn, Gen, Pre-Star Wars: A New Hope, Qui-Gon is Luke's imaginary friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-19
Updated: 2017-06-19
Packaged: 2018-11-15 21:15:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11239380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/May_Seward/pseuds/May_Seward
Summary: When young Luke Skywalker has no one to talk to, he turns to his imaginary friend, Qui-Gon Jinn.





	The Ghost and the Farm Boy

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a tumblr post I made ages ago that turned into a ficlect.

Like many of those who lived outside urban Tatooine, the former Padawan of the late Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn resided in what may have once been a cave, adapted and outfitted to become a dwelling comfortable enough for a Jedi. The stone walls kept the place cool and out of the sun, and on most days soft afternoon light would filter through the windows, a tempered version of the harsh light of the twin Tatooine suns.

Even after only a few years of living here, the entire place echoed and reverberated with Obi-Wan’s presence. Qui-Gon had been connected to that presence once. A Master-Padawan bond is not easily broken, except that it had, eighteen years ago on Naboo, burned away by a lightsaber blade to the gut.

Obi-Wan appeared in the kitchen area, fixing himself a cup of caf, just like every morning. Qui-Gon, anonymous and invisible, watched the shadow of his former padawan as he moved throughout the house, picking up a discarded robe before wandering outside to observe the unchanging scenery that surrounded the little sanctuary. If it could really be called that at all.

‘Uncle Owen please!’ Both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon turned at the sound of the child’s voice.

‘No, Luke. Your aunt is out at the market and I need to find someone to help me fix the vaporators. You chose to come with me so you’re coming with me.’

The child was no older than five with a mop of golden blond hair and bright blue eyes, instantly and painfully familiar.

‘But I don’t wanna go anywhere!’ Luke complained. ‘It’s too hot!’

Qui-Gon thought he heard Owen Lars grumble that it was too hot everyday but young Luke didn’t seem to notice.

Finally, Obi-Wan, who had been watching the scene unfold, spoke up. ‘Do you want to leave him with me for a few hours, Owen?’

Owen’s eyes grew even sterner. ‘Oh, no, I don’t think so. Luke just needs to learn that he has to do as he’s told.’

‘Are you sure?’ Obi-Wan pressed. ‘He seems in a pretty troublesome mood.’

Luke, previously interested in kicking stones along the sandy dirt track they were walking, now watched the conversation with interest. He tugged on Owen’s sleeve. ‘Pleeeeeeeeease?’ he asked.

‘No,’ Owen replied curtly. Luke began jumping up and down on the spot.

‘Please Uncle Owen?’ Luke tried again and when that didn’t work, he chanted, ‘Please please please please please please?’ until Owen looked about ready to tear his own hair out.

He looked up at Obi-Wan. ‘Are you sure?’

‘Wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t,’ Obi-Wan reassured him. ‘You know why I’m here.’

‘Well… fine,’ Owen sighed. ‘If you’re sure.’

‘Yay!’ Luke cheered and ran into the shade near Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan descended from his slightly higher vantage point to talk quietly with Owen.

‘Who are you?’ Luke asked suddenly.

Startled, Qui-Gon cast his senses around to figure out who Luke must be talking to.  He focused his consciousness on young Luke to find the child looking directly at him. The boy could see him.

Still in a state of mild shock that was rapidly being taken over by intrigue, Qui-Gon decided to answer truthfully. ‘My name is Qui-Gon Jinn.’

Luke grinned up at him. ‘I’m Luke Skywalker.’

Qui-Gon smiled. ‘Hello, Luke Skywalker.’

‘Hello,’ Luke said. He pointed to the lightsaber on Qui-Gon’s belt. ‘What is that?’

‘What is what?’ It was Obi-Wan, climbing back up the rocky hillock to where Luke and Qui-Gon sat.

‘That there,’ Luke pointed again. ‘On his belt. It looks like a tube-thingy.’

‘On whose-’ Obi-Wan’s eyes went wide as Qui-Gon felt the Jedi extend his senses. ‘Master? Qui-Gon?’

‘Yeah,’ Luke confirmed and Qui-Gon couldn’t help but want to thank the boy for getting Obi-Wan’s attention. Maybe… Maybe it would be enough for Obi-Wan to see him? Qui-Gon had so much to teach him if only Obi-Wan would look in the right place at the right time.

‘Luke, would you mind heading inside now?’ Obi-Wan asked, not taking his eyes away from the spot where Luke was pointing, a few inches above Qui-Gon’s navel. ‘I’ll be there in a minute.’

Luke shrugged but his face fell slightly. ‘Okay, Ben.’ He stood and galloped inside. Once he was gone, Obi-Wan called out Qui-Gon’s name again.

‘I’m here,’ Qui-Gon said, but Obi-Wan didn’t seem to hear him. Obi-Wan reached out through the Force, grasping at him and Qui-Gon reached back but something was blocking the connection. Flashes of images and feelings and emptiness sparked across the gap between them like a ray shield. Fire and lava, golden eyes, two blue blades crossed in a deadly battle. Qui-Gon recognised Obi-Wan in a flash, standing on the steep bank of volcanic glass and ash, much like he was right now, looking down at someone who could only be Anakin Skywalker. Luke’s father.

Too much had happened too recently, Qui-Gon realised. This isolation Obi-Wan had put himself in was keeping it fresh in his memory, giving him too much time to brood. Qui-Gon allowed himself to fade back into the cosmic Force. He wasn’t going to be able to reach Obi-Wan just yet. His padawan still needed time to heal. Perhaps young Luke Skywalker was the answer to all their problems.

* * *

After that first day, Qui-Gon found that Luke would often startle him with his ability to see him, especially when the dead Jedi was deep in thought.

‘Hullo, Mister Qui-Gon sir,’ Luke said. He sat on the steps of his farmhouse kicking at stones.

‘Hello there, young Luke,’ Qui-Gon replied. It had been a long time since he’d had someone to converse with and found that he enjoyed the company of the young boy. However, after their initial greeting, Luke didn’t seem particularly talkative today. Qui-Gon sensed the boy’s preoccupation.

‘Is something bothering you?’ Qui-Gon asked gently.

Luke shrugged. ‘Uncle Owen is mad at me.’

Qui-Gon cocked his head. ‘Why?’

‘I kept asking him about my parents,’ the boy admitted. ‘He doesn’t like talking about dead people.’

Qui-Gon nodded sagely. ‘Not many people do,’ he agreed.

‘I wish I knew them,’ Luke sighed.

‘They were good people,’ Qui-Gon replied, hoping he wasn’t lying.

Luke’s blond head shot up to look at him. ‘You knew my father? My mother? When? How?’

Qui-Gon chuckled. ‘I knew your parents briefly, when they were not much older than you are.’ He paused for a brief moment, remembering. ’Your father was very strong in the Force.’

‘The Force?’ Luke repeated. ‘What is that?’

‘An energy that binds everything in the universe together. You, me, your uncle, the planet you are sitting on. It connects everything. The living-’ Qui-Gon tilted his head at the accuracy of his statement ‘- and the dead. It is the source of a Jedi’s power.’

‘My dad was a Jedi?’ Luke asked, blue eyes lighting up for a moment, then he frowned and shook his head. ‘No. He was a pilot, not a Jedi. Uncle Owen said so.’

‘Well,’ Qui-Gon conceded. ‘If that is what your uncle told you, then it must be true.’

‘Mister Qui-Gon,’ Luke said, changing tack, ‘What is that on your belt?’

Qui-Gon took his lightsaber off his belt and held it out for Luke to see. ‘This? This is my lightsaber.’

Luke’s eyes grew wide. ‘For real? Are you a Jedi or did you steal it?’

‘I was a Jedi once,’ Qui-Gon admitted.

‘Can I see?’ Luke asked, reaching his small hands out to take the weapon. 

Qui-Gon lifted the lightsaber out of the boy’s reach. Truthfully, he found it unlikely that even he could ignite it, considering it was mostly just a prop created by his consciousness that manifested whenever Qui-Gon took physical form, and thought it even more unlikely that Luke would be able to hurt himself with it, but Luke was unusual and Qui-Gon decided not to take the chance. He did step back and pressed the button to activate it anyway, just to see if it would. To both himself and Luke’s surprise, it did and as the green blade sang into existence, Luke smiled.

‘Woah.’

* * *

‘Oh, hi, Qui-Gon,’ the twelve year old put down his model starship (Imperial Shuttle- _Lambda_ -class T-4a) and sat up from his slumped position at his desk.

‘Hello, Luke,’ Qui-Gon replied, moving from the door of the boy’s bedroom to perch on his bed. ‘What has been happening with you today? You seem… agitated.’

‘Biggs and I were talking today. He says that when he grows up he’s gonna go to the Imperial Academy and become a pilot for the Empire. I wanna go too but my aunt and uncle will never let me. Not in a million years!’

‘Are you sure that going to the Imperial Academy is what you want?’ Qui-gon asked. ‘It is not an easy life, working for the Empire.’

Luke crossed his arms. ‘I am sure I wanna get outta here someday. I don’t wanna stay on Tatooine anymore.’ He grinned and mimed piloting a ship. ‘I want to fly TIE fighters! They’re so fast and they make that cool noise!’ Luke tried to demonstrate the noise but it sounded more like a baby Wookie with a cold than anything else. ‘My dad was a pilot. Uncle Owen said so. Oooh! I wonder if he flew TIE fighters?’

‘Your Uncle said he was a navigator,’ Qui-Gon pointed out.

‘Oh, yeah. Probably not then,’ Luke agreed. ‘I still wanna go to the Academy though.’

‘Well,’ Qui-Gon said. ‘Going to the Imperial Academy is a big decision. You may want to think about it for a while.’

‘But I wanna go,’ Luke insisted.

‘Luke, the Empire is many things but a means of escape isn’t one of them. Make sure that you are prepared to do what your commanders may ask of you before you apply.’

Luke glared at Qui-Gon. ‘Why do you care anyway? You’re not even real!’

To prove his point, he threw his Lambda-class toy shuttle straight through Qui-Gon’s chest.

In shock, the boy blinked and stared at the empty space Qui-Gon had occupied a moment before.

* * *

****‘It has been a long time, young Luke.’

The young man spun around. It was sunset and in the low light, Qui-Gon seemed to glow eerily blue.

‘You?’ Luke asked, bewildered. ‘But… You’re not real. You’ve never been real. You’re who I talk to when I can’t talk to anyone else. I…’

‘You seem upset, Luke.’

Luke began to pace. ‘It’s my birthday today. I turn eighteen and what happens? Biggs announces that he’s leaving. My best friend is leaving and I’ll have no one except my aunt and uncle. How is that fair? And Uncle Owen is never gonna let me leave because he says he needs me to work the farm but he never actually asks me what I want. He’s holding me back!’ Luke kicked a stone into the curved side of the house in frustration and ran a hand through his hair. ‘And now… You reappear. Like an omen that the only person I’ll ever be able to talk to now doesn’t even exist except in my own head.’

‘Patience, young one.’

‘I’m not a kid for you to console anymore, Qui-Gon.’

‘You still have much to learn about the universe.’

Luke looked at him with a cynical eye. ‘I just… Don’t want to be here anymore. All those stories you used to tell me about Jedi and faraway stars and planets that were one big city or the waterfalls of Naboo. I want to see them, Qui-Gon. I want to see nebulae and travel through hyperspace and fly with my friends.’

‘Perhaps all of that is to come,’ Qui-Gon suggested kindly. ‘Maybe the Force has something special planned for you, Luke Skywalker. Perhaps that is why you are being left behind; because this is where it all starts.’

‘The Force, sure. Why would the Force care about me?’

‘For more reasons than you could possibly imagine, Luke. You have no idea how important you are.’

‘I’m not important,’ Luke sighed. ‘I’m not a Jedi or an Imperial Officer or someone who actually has a say in what happens to this galaxy.’

‘Maybe,’ Qui-Gon murmured, ‘Maybe one day you will be.’

Luke sighed and looked out over the desert at the twin suns sinking slowly below the dunes.

‘Maybe.’


End file.
